Hunter Trapper Education

Over the last couple of seasons, we've had some discussion here on HTE, especially in regards to the Mentored Youth Program and the new online HTE that begins this year for hunters over 16.  My son just took his class over the weekend at Millvale Sportsmen's Club and since it's slow here on the boards, thought I'd offer some insights as to just what is covered and isn't these days in relation to the MY and online programs.  
 
First, kudos to the guys still teaching it!  Good to see some older - probably close to 60 +/- a few years - vets still with the desire to help the future generations of hunting.  Both of the guys in charge have been doing it a long time and have helped to bring a lot of kids into our ranks.  
 
I talked to one of the instructors for a bit at one of the breaks.  He said that the PGC is pretty adamant these days about limiting the class to 6 hours and no more.  Although it was scheduled for 8 hours, the first 2.5 hours were taken up by a DWCO who added very little to the class content.  Mostly a bunch of stuff from him about not pizzing off non/anti hunters.  We were in Allegheny County, so I get that it's a little more fragile there, but he could have hit the important stuff in his presentation in about 25 minutes talking about landowner relations; responsible hunting; trespass laws etc.  
 
As far as the content of what kids had to know for the test:
 
Gun safety, as it should be, was the top priority.  Had some well produced videos for each point, that included simulated field scenarios hunting for different species and in different terrain.  Covered all the parts of guns and bows of every sort and type.  
 
They had a very good and important segment on turkey hunting safety, which included a video from the NWTF that featured two guys who had been in a turkey hunting accident - the shooter and the victim.  Although the instructors didn't know that the orange hat requirement for spring gobbler had been rescinded when a mom in attendance said, "Why weren't either of them wearing any orange, especially the one walking around?"  Adequate time spent on all the other stuff.  
 
With the way it's taught now - no live fire practice; no practice loading/unloading weapons; no walks through the woods or practicing safe gun handling crossing a fence, crick, etc; a few "dummy" guns with firing pins removed that only the instructors could handle - it was ALL sitting and listening to guys do a power point presentation all day.  
 
I had pretty fond memories of my class that included all of the above and more and I went to my class with eagerness each of the 3 days we had it because I knew we would be doing some cool stuff while learning about it.  The building was accidentally double booked for a party, so we sat outside in a pavilion all day in the 90* heat with only a break for lunch and a 10 minute bathroom break in the morning and afternoon.  Even if we had been inside in the AC, I imagine all the kids and adults, many of whom found some time for quick cat naps and a few that took longer naps, would have had the eyes-glazed-over look from the monotony.  Couldn't help but feel like the kids in attendance were getting the shaft in comparison to what HTE used to be like.  
 
Not the fault of the instructors, as their hands are tied by the PGC with time constraints and the no live fire rule.  The one I talked to fondly recalled all the fun they used to have with the hands on stuff.  And the instructors did a good job presenting the necessary content to prepare kids for the test.  
 
So after having been through it 2 big takeaways:
 
1.  I wish the online option was available to any hunter of any age.  There was absolutely nothing covered in the class that couldn't be covered in online instruction.  As I said, I appreciated the efforts of the veteran instructors and I know that they do it because they love it.  But an online curriculum could be done with even more interaction than the kids experienced in the class.  
 
2.  I didn't really have a strong opinion either way on required education for kids or mentors in the mentored program, but after this, I have to say I think it would be a good and beneficial thing for some type of mandatory preparation class for this program.  Especially for the adults.  Again, an online version would be great.  I know what MY standards were for preparing my son to hunt on the mentored tag beginning at age 9.  I think it would be good to have some sort of abbreviated education for young hunters and adults who want to participate in this.  A refresher for the parents who haven't had HTE for a couple decades or more and an introduction for the kids, who as the instructors pointed out, are often the voice of reason and conscience for adults in hunting scenarios.  
 
Before the cries of "everyone will cheat" with the online stuff start, online education is a very well oiled machine these days, whether it's cyber curriculum for home schooled kids; college classes or continuing education for professionals.  My wife has to do quite a bit of continuing ed for her work, and most of it is online now.  There are no shortcuts or ways to cheat the system when it's properly designed.  
 
Just thought I'd share what HTE is like today in relation to some of the changes we're seeing in PA, compared to what it was when we were kids.  

BeenThereDoneThat.
I never thought about the safety course again until I read your thread and from what I see, the volunteer instructors are still dedicated people with the same desire for teaching hunter safety but, there sounds like a change has been taking place within the system itself.  Changes that some see as possibly detrimental to the future success of the Hunter Safety Program.  Changes that may be creating discontent and turmoil among those who have been the backbone of the program for all these years.
 
I have to wonder, has the present day PGC  safety mind set changed from what it was when, my son and I took the class, held at the Sandy Creek Vol. Fire Station in Venango County, 25 years ago?

In general the safety mind set was very similar.  I believe I took mine 28 years ago if my math is correct, so pretty close to when you were last there.  For example, I seem to remember having to memorize The 10 Commandments of Gun Safety.  Each of the 10 were covered, but just not in list form.  All of the safety aspects of hunting were covered as thoroughly as they were back then.  Just a different format crammed into a much smaller time frame with no time for stories, anecdotes and hands on experience.  
 
As I said, I got the impression that the instructor I spoke with felt like his hands were tied by the PGC in terms of the time they could take to present the info.  No knocks on those guys, who as you said are the backbone of the program.  
 
I think the PGC mindset about hunting in general - at least as it was represented by the DWCO who was the PGC representative in the class - was significantly different than it was back then.  I understand that in today's world in which people wake up in the morning and say, "What can I be offended by today?" that we do have to be a little more cautious.  But I felt like his spiel was one foot over the ledge of a slippery slope headed towards the position that hunting is merely a tool for population control of game and not a celebrated, honorable and exciting part of our cultural fabric anymore.  
 
I definitely didn't get this from the instructors, just the DWCO.  
 
There was definitely the insinuation in his presentation that if we didn't hide our kill - oops, sorry HARVEST (Johnny Law wouldn't say kill, just harvest, harvest, harvest) - from public view that we could be responsible for a non-hunter becoming an anti hunter and signing a petition.  Definitely the insinuation that if we didn't change our clothes and wash up after the hunt before going into public that we could be responsible for a non-hunter becoming an anti hunter and signing a petition.  He was really big on non-hunters becoming anti-hunters who signed petitions, for some reason.  Mr. Green Jeans was all about not pizzing off the non and anti hunters so that they didn't sign petitions.  
 
I remember in my class the the local WCO in Westmoreland County had a fascinating presentation that included stories of good guys and bad guys; antlers and animal pelts; all that the PGC did to benefit hunters; how hunters could police our ranks together, etc.  Back when hunting was something that was honorable and a celebrated part of our culture, and not just a necessary game management tool.  
 
It was in Allegheny County, so maybe there's more of a focus on that in classes around that area.  The PGC view of what hunting represents in society seems to be a pretty far cry from the era in which I learned to hunt.  
 

BeenThereDoneThat.
As for the mind set of those past administrators, I think (based on changes they made) safety wasn't a high priority.

I'm guessing this is in relation to the online curriculum, shrinking the class time, etc?  
 
I believe the instructor said it's been like this for the past 7 years or so.  
 
Be interesting to see if the current trend of historically low numbers of hunting accidents in PA continues while the generation instructed under the new parameters grows up and begins hunting on their own.